SWITCH Africa Green Joint Steering Committee meeting 2016

The fourth meeting of the Joint Steering Committee for the Switch Africa Green programme was held on 29 May 2016 in Kampala. The meeting was attended by representatives of the European Union, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the African Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production (ARSCP) and the Government of Uganda on behalf of the pilot countries.

Committee members reviewed the annual report of the Secretariat, which highlighted the progress made and the challenges faced in achieving the goals under each of the three components. They took note, in particular, of the progress made in the implementation of the green business development component, as witnessed during the SWITCH Africa Green Networking Forum. 

Committee Members also noted the importance of further consolidating the work on the policy support and networking component to ensure the effectiveness of the project. The Committee reviewed and approved the workplan for 2016, which had been prepared on the basis of the overall project workplan, and underlined the importance of ensuring maximum coherence and synergy among the three components of the project.

Mr. Thibaut Portevin, Policy Officer, Forests and Green Economy for the European Commission, provided an update to Joint Steering Committee members on the possible extension of the SWITCH Africa Green programme. He noted that the European Commission was considering allocating an additional €20 million to SWITCH Africa Green, which would be available after final approval, possibly by January 2017.